China’s navy and coastguard stage first joint patrols near disputed South China Sea islands as ‘warning to Vietnam’
Foreign ships expelled from waters off Paracel Islands in show of strength after Vietnamese subsidiary of Russian oil firm Rosneft started drilling nearby
China expelled at least 10 foreign fishing vessels in the first joint patrol staged by the Chinese navy and coastguard in the disputed waters of the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea, state media has reported.
News of the patrol, reported by the official military media on Sunday, came after China landed long-range bombers for the first time last week on an unspecified island reef in the South China Sea.
Beijing’s latest moves, according to Chinese analysts, are intended to serve as a warning to Hanoi following news that a Vietnamese subsidiary of a Russian state oil firm had started drilling in an area that China also claims.
A report published on Sunday on the website of the People’s Liberation Army Daily said the joint patrol team “spotted and inspected” some 40 ships and drove out over 10 foreign fishing boats in the area as part of efforts to “effectively safeguard [China’s] maritime interest”.
Vessels from the navy, coastguard and local authorities, took part in the five-day patrol, said the report.